Internet players clamp down on information theft

Media Release

15 May 2007

Internet players clamp down on information theft

Leading players from the internet and marketing industries including the Interactive Advertising Bureau, the Marketing Association, Internet NZ and Yellow Pages Group are moving to combat the misuse of online information.

The unauthorised use of information on the internet, whether deliberate or inadvertent, breaches the terms and conditions attached to such information and, depending on the nature of the information, can also encroach on individuals’ privacy.

Interactive Advertising Bureau Chairman Josh Borthwick says the move by the industry hopes to address what is becoming a growing problem for New Zealand businesses who have invested significant resources in building online products and services.

“The Internet has changed the dynamics of how we publish content in so many ways. So much more content is available free of charge than ever before in any traditional media environment. In order to sustain the continued provision of valuable content for all, we must protect the intellectual property rights of our publishers in New Zealand."

In the most recent step, Yellow Pages Group is approaching a number of large New Zealand businesses and government organisations believed to be misusing information from White Pages online.

The organisations are being requested to stop the unauthorised use of this information and, if they continue to breach the site’s terms and conditions, their access will be restricted.

The terms and conditions for White Pages online and Yellow online prohibit the copying or reproduction of the sites’ contents, and their use in the line of business. This is the same as the majority of other directory, news and information websites.

“It is logical that White Pages online, as the main source of contact information for New Zealanders and businesses, should move to address this problem, and we applaud them in this. We need big business to step in for the benefit of all smaller publishers who simply can’t afford to defend their rights and content from negligent use,” said Mr Borthwick.

Organisations are using White Pages online to benefit their own business activities, says Yellow Pages Group Chief Information Officer, Karl Wright.

“Many people believe the internet is a rule-free zone where anyone’s information is anyone else’s. The reality is that taking other people’s information can actually be theft.

“Misuse of its online information is of concern to any organisation and so we have partnered with industry organisations who share our concerns to discuss ways to stem this activity,” Mr Wright said.

“Much of the activity may be the result of an innocent misunderstanding of the specific terms and conditions relating to the use of that online information. Information on White Pages online is freely published for use as a personal reference but not as a resource for business activity."

Mr Wright says Yellow Pages Group will restrict the use of White Pages online by any organisation which, after discussions, continues to breach the site’s terms and conditions.

Keith Norris, CEO of the Marketing Association, supported the move by Yellow Pages Group.

“In the world of direct marketing almost every organisation builds up databases of people in order to sell them products or services. However terms and conditions are attached to online and offline information sources for a reason: to protect both the rights of the individuals whose private details make up that information and of the information owner,” he said.

Mr Norris said there were ways of obtaining databases without the risk of breaching other companies’ terms and conditions. Specialist list marketing businesses sell lists of contact names based on various demographic and psychographic profiles and buying preferences. Individuals who appear on these lists have normally consented to being contacted for marketing purposes.

ENDS

Misuse of information explained

Many people make the assumption that public information, especially information on the internet, is free to use as you wish. What people do not realise is that there are usually terms and conditions of use attached to such information.

‘Misuse’ is where companies use certain information, in this case White Pages online, for business purposes without consent or agreement of the owner. This misuse might be inadvertent, where companies are not aware of the terms and conditions that apply, or deliberate, where they are aware of the terms and conditions but still continue to misuse the information.

Information published by Yellow Pages Group is available for private use but not for business / commercial use. An example here is that anybody (including organisations) has access to White Pages online in order to find the contact details for a person or business. However, if an organisation wants to verify its own contact database or create a database of potential customers using White Pages online, this is an example of business use and therefore that organisation will need to enter into a formal agreement with us and adhere to certain terms and conditions.

A separate, and potentially more serious, breach of terms and conditions is ‘scraping’ is where companies or individuals deliberately copy or scrape data (e.g. pages from internet sites) and use this information for their own gain, sometimes passing it off as their own.

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